Page 117 - 2022 Spring JSOM

An Ongoing Series
An Ongoing Series

Advancing the Practice of

Contemporary Military Performance Psychology
A Full-Spectrum Approach to Psychological Health and Readiness

Gloria H. Park, PhD, MAPP *; Susannah K. Knust, PhD ; Seth Haselhuhn, PhD ;
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Samuel J. Whalen, PhD ; Patricia A. Deuster, PhD, MPH, FACSM ;
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Carroll H. Greene III, PhD, ABPP ; Michael N. Dretsch, PhD ; Joseph L. Bonvie, PsyD, ABPP ;
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Robert D. Lippy, PhD, ABPP ; Travis K. Lunasco, PsyD ; Craig A. Myatt, PhD 11
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ABSTRACT
The Department of Defense (DoD) continues to emphasize op- and TFF are essential components of the strategic framework
erational readiness, lethality, and optimal performance. Perfor- of Special Operations and operational medicine within the US
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mance psychology is a critical aspect of and central dimension Department of Defense’s Military Health System (MHS).
to human performance optimization in support of Preserva- Whereas the Special Operations Command utilizes POTFF as
tion of the Force and Family (POTFF) and Total Force Fitness a performance enhancement resourcing tool, the DoD uses the
(TFF). The delivery of performance psychology services must HPO concept and the TFF framework to identify MHS gaps
continue to evolve to maximize its potential for enhancing across health and performance domains, and guide realign-
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combat performance and supporting psychological readiness ment efforts in policy, structures, and practices. In contrast to
in warfighters across all branches of service. The authors (1) other TFF domains, such as physical fitness, consideration of
provide a brief history of the evolution of military psychology; psychological well-being and optimal psychological function-
(2) explore how performance psychology complements and ing with respect to performance in the operational environment
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broadens approaches to support warfighter health and readi- is relatively recent. The psychological and cognitive fitness
ness; and (3) present a set of strategies to advance performance domains are critical components of POTFF. The framework
psychology services toward an aspirational model. Such strat- suggests that when psychological and cognitive performance
egies will more effectively promote best practices to better tar- are optimized, warfighter capabilities show sustainment or
get operational performance, complement existing health and improvement. Psychological fitness is broadly construed as
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medical service delivery, and encompass a systems approach the integration and optimization of mental, emotional, and
to sustainable training. Moreover, these strategies aim to in- behavioral abilities and capacities to optimize mission critical
crease return on investment of psychological readiness efforts performance and sustained resilience of warfighters. 9
for warfighters across all branches of service.
Applications of psychology remain a focal point of support-
Keywords: military; psychology; performance optimization; per- ing operational readiness, well-being, and health of warfight-
formance psychology; psychological health; readiness ers and their families. Military-focused psychology research
has illuminated the demands of military operations and cor-
responding impacts on mental health, sleep and cognitive
functioning, as well as the role of morale, team cohesion, and
Introduction
emotional culture, and their impact on successful performance
Contemporary military performance psychology is a capabili- of military duties. 10,11 The formalization of performance psy-
ties-based application that builds human performance optimi- chology services within the military complements the existing
zation (HPO) in support of operational effectiveness. POTFF health and medically focused service delivery model, and has

*Correspondence to gloria.park.ctr@usuhs.edu
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1 Dr Gloria H. Park is the director of performance psychology and Maj (Ret) Travis K. Lunasco is the director of human performance optimization
future operations with the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Inc. in support of the Consortium for Health and Military Performance in the Department
of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD. Dr Susannah K.
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Knust is a research psychologist with the Research Transition Office, Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience at the Walter Reed Army
Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD. Dr Seth Haselhuhn and Dr Samuel J. Whalen are contracted cognitive performance specialists with KBR
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at United States Special Operations Command. Dr Patricia A. Deuster is a professor and chief science officer of the Consortium for Health and
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Military Performance in the Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University,
Bethesda, MD. Col (Ret) Carroll H. Greene III is an independent performance consultant. LTC Michael N. Dretsch is director of US Army Medical
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Research Directorate–West, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. CAPT Joseph L. Bonvie and CDR Robert
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D. Lippy are force psychologists with the US Navy, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC). LTC Craig A. Myatt is an assistant professor,
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US Army, Medical Service Corps, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services
University, Bethesda, MD.
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